"The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival." Aristotle

I would like to ask you a simple question.
Understanding the answer could change your life forever. Think it through thoroughly. Then continue reading. Here is the question: What is most important to you in this life?

What did you come up with? Health? Mind? Family? Job? Ice cream? My answer to this question is awareness. Without our awareness we have nothing. You cannot love your spouse and children, work at your job or sip coffee on a sidewalk café without awareness. In fact, without it, you will not even know if you exist.

Awareness is not our mind. If our mind were a light bulb then awareness would be the electricity that lights it up. Dull awareness causes confusion, misunderstanding and suffering. A mind bright with awareness is calm and present. It displays a peaceful gentleness that puts others at ease. If you look at awareness as your ‘inner light’ you will be close to understanding its vital importance.

The quality of our awareness determines the quality of our life. It is important that our awareness be vibrant and alert. Knowledge is the result of shining our awareness on things, people, thoughts and ideas. It is like having a flashlight in a dark room. Whatever we shine our awareness on becomes known to us. Awareness keeps us in touch with our world; physical, mental, and environmental.

That would make the quality of our awareness very important. If the batteries in your flashlight are weak the objects around you will appear shadowy and dark. In dim, shadowy light, a coil of rope can look like a dangerous snake. Misleading information is often the result of dull awareness and this fundamental deception causes great suffering in our lives.

Most of the time, our minds are on autopilot. Incessant mental chatter is a good example of a runaway mind. The hyperactive mind, so common today that it is considered normal, wastes vast amounts of energy and continually gets us into trouble. Other symptoms include worrying about the future or dwelling on the past, boredom, frustration, anger, anxiety and fear. These are all ropes that look like snakes. Dull awareness makes our world a fearful place.

If you were able to slow down your thoughts, your awareness would shine more brightly in your mind. You would feel a calm wash over you. You would feel more energetic and creative and ultimately your life would become in balance with your needs
and desires. Pure, bright awareness is a wonderful freeing of your spirit and the ultimate gift that you can give to your family, friends and the rest of the world.

Here is an effective exercise to brighten your awareness. It will help to quiet the mind and quell your runaway emotions.
Observe (present awareness) what you are thinking. Just let your thoughts play across the movie screen of your mind. That is all! If you are experiencing unsettling emotions, don’t try to change them. If you are angry or anxious or sad, just watch as these emotions rise and fall like waves on the ocean of your awareness. Do not try to figure out what your thoughts or feelings mean. Be aware without interfering. Do not judge or condemn your thoughts and feelings.
Don’t worry if you get drawn into a stream of mental activity and lose present awareness. When you realize that you are not observing, your present awareness has already returned. Just continue being aware of what is going on in your mind.

You will be amazed at the potency of this simple exercise. With practice, it will become more and more automatic. In time you will find that when your thoughts or emotions start to run away with you, you will naturally shift into the observing mode. Do not think of it only as a quick fix to be used just when you are upset or overwhelmed. That will work, but that approach will always have you
playing catch-up to your mind. Instead, do this exercise as often as you like. Soon, you will find great inner stability despite the wobbling world around you.